Alpha Charlie
by Madances
Summary: Amanda has commitments to more than just the Agency; but who and where is the question.  This is the first of 2 sister stories, 'Lee's Huge Mistake' is the other.  sorry it took so long to get them up.


Alpha Charlie

Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I have borrowed the characters without the consent or knowledge of Warner Brothers or Shoot the Moon. I will return them shortly. The extra characters and story are mine.

Rating: T **warning for sexual innuendo **

Summary: Amanda has commitments to more than the Agency. I have always liked Leatherneck and Lee takes Amanda for granted.

Timeframe: late second season before my story 'Lee's Huge Mistake'

Notes: If you have ever heard a melody and can't place it, you know that it can be frustrating. Lyrics at end of story

AGENCY BULLPEN Monday late morning

"Amanda King! You listen to me -," yelled Scarecrow.

"NO, you are wrong! I am -," she shouted back.

"Excuse me, Mrs. King," interrupted the nervous phone secretary.

"Yes, Suzette?" Amanda acknowledged kindly.

"I am sorry, Ma'am, but you have a call on line 1. He says to tell you 'it is top'? the young woman relayed with a question in her voice.

Mrs. King stared into space for a fraction of a second, so briefly that Stetson wondered if he imagined it. "Amanda King. …. Alpha Charlie - 4 hours … Mother? …Affirmative." Gently she replaced the receiver.

Scarecrow took up where he had been stopped. "I am the senior agent. I am the one to decide. You stay in the car …"

Kikie touched Beth who tapped Heather. They saw Mrs. King take her bag out of her desk drawer and walk out of the bullpen without saying a word. "Did you see that?" "She just blew him off."

Killion hurried over and demanded, "so who won?"

Kikie reported, "they had been fighting for fully ten minutes. She got a phone call and suddenly she couldn't be bothered any more."

HANCOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

"Mrs. Holcomb, I need Jamie right now. Phillip, go get him. We have a family emergency so he will be out for several days."

Phillip entered the open classroom door and went to his brother and whispered, "Alpha Charlie."

Mrs. Anderson had turned from writing on the chalkboard. "What is going on? Phillip?"

"I came to get Jamie," he replied.

The loud speaker came on. "Mrs. Anderson, would you please send Jamie King to the office?"

"Yes, they are on their way."

KING HOME

Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Amanda King closed her front door and then carried a fish bowl sporting a large bow over to her neighbor's house. "I sure do appreciate this, Mable."

"Mama, the guy says he's finished," called Phillip from their front yard.

"Thanks, again. We will see you," said Amanda as she hurried home. "Coming."

The man in the van kept his eyed on the two story house. He knew that they could not go in until the street was quiet. Soon all the kids would be called in for dinner and homework.

An air conditioning maintenance van pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street. Mrs. King walked out and stopped on the top step. "I will be back soon. …Yes, Jamie. … Marvelous Marvin's."

Watching the station wagon drive away, the observer wished he could get dinner from Marvelous Marvin's, too.

Three men stealthily entered through the patio door and began searching the house. Several lights were on in the family room, kitchen, and hall. Some upstairs lights were on as well. "Nobody is here." "There are clothes and toys missing." "Where did they go?" "When did they leave?"

HALIFAX HOTEL Burgundy Room Monday evening

Stetson stood talking with a group of people. The petite blond clung to his arm proud to be the one lady that he had not left alone at a party recently. He nodded at some people across the way and received a slight nod back. He continued observing them, following the subtle signs and signals. Barbara Bishop passed Daniel Godbold without acknowledgment. Malcolm Goldburg appeared to leer at the exaggerated sway of Wilma Jamison's hips. Mary Sullivan whispered suggestively in to Yancy Rankin's ear.

Lee narrowed his eyes at the unlikely display. If he had not known that they were related he would not have suspected anything. But they were a family, they were Amanda's family. 'Here I am on a date with a lovely lady and Amanda's family is working on something.' Stetson thought, 'well it doesn't have anything to do with me.'

Demi Morgan asked, "Didn't you used to date her?" pointing at a pretty brunette.

Lee jerked his attention back to his companion, "who?" He looked over to see his partner, uh - civilian aide. "Oh, Amanda. Yeah, occasionally."

From where he stood it appeared that Amanda was arguing with the man beside her. 'Good luck, fella,' he thought thinking back to that morning's unfinished quarrel. She didn't look agitated unless you knew her well.

Singing slightly off key, she approached him. "Kiss me quick and go my honey, Kiss me quick and go; To cheat surprise and prying eyes, Why kiss me quick and go!" Amanda placed her palm gently against his cheek and kissed his lips. "Good bye, Lee."

Grayson goaded her from her earpiece, "can't you do better than that?"

She whispered into her mike, "of course, I can do better than that."

Lee was surprised and then suspicious as he watched her and listened to her whisper.

"Well?" taunted Grayson.

Mrs. King slid her arms around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him passionately. Her tongue explored his mouth and she felt him return her kiss as his arms enfolded her. Bringing it to a close, she advised, "be careful where you sleep and with whom, Sweetheart." To Demi she said, "good night, baby." As she walked away Scarecrow heard her ask, "satisfied, Grayson?"

By the hall door several members of her family laughed, waiting for her to join them.

Lee Stetson recovered from his surprised state, 'I never knew she could kiss like that.' He checked the drape of his jacket hoping to conceal the bulge in his trousers while he watched her leave the room.

"Just who does she think she is? How dare she -? Lee! Lee., are you paying attention to me?" demanded his date.

AGENCY Tuesday morning

Gossip flowed through the building. Scarecrow and Mrs. King had topped the chart again.

"Where is she, Billy?" demanded the handsome agent. "Who has her now and what is her assignment?"

Mr. Melrose lowered his donut to inquire, "Mrs. King?"

"Of course, Mrs. King," he replied.

"She is late. I don't know where she is, but she will probably be here soon," his boss told him.

"She was working last night at the Halifax. Who is she with this time? What is she doing?" Lee questioned.

"Are you sure she was working," Billy probed. "Nobody requested her."

"I am sure, she had a mike and an earpiece. Family members were scattered all over."

The click of high heels proceeded Francine into the room. "Well, well, well. I hear the little housewife has unexpected depths. I heard that she rocked your world and really upset your date."

"Demi was mad alright," admitted Lee. "I don't think Amanda wanted to do it. I believe someone ordered her to kiss me, then I believe that Grayson challenged her to do a better job."

"What?" Billy and Francine asked together.

Lee gathered his thoughts, "I hadn't talked to her since yesterday morning. I had not known she was there until Demi spotted her. Looked like Amanda was arguing with Tank of the FBI. She walked over singing something and gently kissed me, saying 'good bye, Lee'. Grayson must have said something because she whispered, "of course, I can do it better". and she did do it better," he assured them smugly. "She warned me of Demi and left."

"What about Demi?"

"Nothing specific. Amanda said, 'be careful where you sleep and with whom, Sweetheart'. Then she left.

"That's it?"

"Yeah, but someone had Amanda working on something."

"So your little housewife with 'generosity and stamina' assumed that you would be sleeping with Demi?" suggested Francine snidely.

"Presumably," He flashed her an irritated look.

"Did you?" she pressed on.

"Not last night!"

"Billy, they're gone; Amanda, her mother and the boys. Swenson found out that a neighbor has the boys' fish due to a family emergency. Amanda didn't tell her what or where. Sanders reported that a lot of clothes and toys are missing and someone had been there after they left. Jenkins went to the schools, Amanda checked both boys out yesterday after lunch. They have all their books and are not expected back for a while. She didn't tell the schools about this family emergency either. Some kid in Jamie's class overheard Phillip say 'Alpha Charlie'. That is the same thing Amanda said on the phone yesterday; 'Alpha Charlie - 4 hours'.

Agent Desmond sat facing her computer screen staring at Amanda King's personnel file. "Her brothers and their families are gone, too. James West's secretary says that he got a call and went flying out of there yesterday. Jeffery did the same thing. Neither told where they were going or when they would be back, just family emergency."

"How big an emergency?" asked Lee.

"What are you talking about?" Melrose questioned.

"How big is the emergency? How many family members are involved? Call Matt Bentell and David Anderson. I will call John 'Medic' Miller and Larry 'Flight Deck' Thomas. Some one needs to get ahold of Jacob Palmer. Who else do we know that's close?" Lee rattled off.

Billy Melrose added, "Jennifer Jamison, I will call her. We checked out most of the people at the McClellan party. Hell, we practically need a family tree."

Lee and Francine stared at each other before Lee called Personnel. "We need Amanda King's background file. No, I want the paper copies. .. All of it. .. This is Scarecrow and we need it now!"

"Matt, this is Francine Desmond. … I'm fine. How are you? … The reason I called is that we are looking for Amanda King. She didn't come in to work today."

"Mrs. Jamison, This is William Melrose at the Agency. …"

Lee was on hold, waiting for Dr. John Miller to answer. "Suzette, that man who called Mrs. King yesterday. What exactly did he say. 'It is top' priority? Top secret? Top what?"

"He didn't say, Mr. Stetson," the young lady assured him. "He said to tell her 'it is top', that is all he said".

"Thank, Suzette," he said with a smile. "Hi, Medic, this is Lee Stetson. I am looking for Amanda. Her family is missing. … She got a call yesterday. The man said, "say it is top' and she said 'Alpha Charlie four hours' … Jim and Jeff had a family emergency at the same time … I need to know where she is. … Yes, I know that they are all part of the same family."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bishop is out of town for a few days. Can I help you, sir?"

"I'm sorry. Larry Thomas is on a leave of absence."

"Casey, where is that King file?" demanded the Field Section Chief of the personnel clerk on the phone.

Dr. Smyth practically marched into the bullpen and straight through to the office. He stood in the doorway briefly studying the three people seated around the desk. "Well, kiddies, it seems that you have had a busy morning. I have had several phone calls this morning and they all boil down to this 'STOP IT'. J.J. believes you are endangering her family. Too many questions of the wrong people so cut it out, children." After a brief pause, the director did an about face and left.

"That was strange, no rhyme, no quote," said Francine watching Smyth through the blinds.

"Well, people, it looks like we have ruffled some feathers. Did we learn anything?" asked Billy Melrose.

"No," stated Lee.

"No, but I finally got Amanda's file. She was right, she almost did give us her family tree. Very little of this is in the computer. Did you know that one of her brother's was MIA when she started and now he's back? It was never added to her file," Francine informed them.

"I knew Charles was MIA in Honduras. I don't remember him returning. She mentions everything else," Lee said.

"I checked. Billy was on vacation and you were in Europe. Brown was acting section chief. Remember, Billy?" Francine pointed out.

"I remember how much I had to redo after I got back," Replied Billy. "So what did you find out?"

"Her great-grandfather was George West. Monica West AKA Madre is her great-grandmother. Jennifer Jamison at the State Department is a distant cousin-in-law. She has relatives in the military, State, Treasury, CIA, FBI, state government, county government. When Amanda filled out her employment forms she wrote down who they work for. Primarily, these people are on the West side of the family," Francine informed them.

"Why did it take this long to find out?" demanded Billy.

"Apparently our system only uses certain information; parents, spouses, exs, siblings, grandparents, kids, aunts, uncles and cousins. What we don't use is distant relatives, occupations, close family friends. We checked out Amanda's life, her immediate family and friends," Francine continued.

"Melrose," Billy answered the ringing phone. "Yes, sir, he's right here. Major General Stevens for you, Lee."

"Stetson, here. Thank you for returning my call. … Amanda's family is missing, Sir. … Yes, Sir. Mrs. West and James and Jeffery. … Family emergency … Yes, Sir. We will, Sir. … Thank you, Sir. … Goodbye, Sir." After hanging up, Lee faced Mr. Melrose and Ms. Desmond. "General Stevens suggests that we reexamine everything we know before we get spooky."

The section chief questioned, "so what do we know?"

"We know that General Stevens was Amanda's father's best friend. That information is also in her file in a section she called 'good friends'," Francine told them.

Billy added, "we know that Amanda received a phone call from an unknown man yesterday and immediately left to pickup her children from school."

Lee suggested, "and we can be sure that her mother and boys were somewhere safe before she went to the Halifax Hotel."

"We know that someone entered her house after the family left so they probably did not get whatever they wanted," Billy said.

"We believe that she was working the party for someone. Lee, you said that she was wired, earpiece and mike," stated Francine.

"There were at least nine family and a minimum of three party members, a couple FBI guys. We don't know if this was FBI or a Family thing or both."

Billy sighed and instructed, "alright, Lee, tell us again. What exactly happened last night? You were at the Halifax Hotel and …?"

Lee recounted his earlier statement. "I took Demi to the Halifax Hotel for a party in the Burgundy Room. We had been there for a while when Demi asked me if I used to date Amanda. Because of the cover we have used, I said, 'yeah, occasionally'. Amanda appeared to be arguing with Tank before she walked over to us. She was singing something. She put her hand on my cheek and kissed me and said, 'goodbye, Lee'. A moment later I heard her whisper into her mike, 'of course, I can do it better than that'. She put her arms around my neck and kissed me again. She said, 'be careful where you sleep and with whom, Sweetheart' then Amanda turned and said, 'good night, baby' to Demi. She left with part of her family. They were laughing."

"How do you know that she was arguing with Tank?"

"I have argued with her enough to recognize the look."

Billy and Francine both agreed laughing. "That's true!"

"I didn't know Amanda sings. Does she do it often?" asked Billy.

Lee replied, "no, she doesn't. In the car sometimes but I have never heard her sing at a party."

Melrose asked, "what was she singing?"

"I don't know. I don't remember," Lee admitted.

Francine put it together, "She was warning you about something specific. She called you 'sweetheart' and she called your girlfriend 'baby'. she told you 'goodbye' not good night'. She warned you about Demi twice."

Billy said, "you need to remember what she was singing. It must be important."

Lee agreed, "it will come to me. Right now we need to figure out who we talked to that J.J. believes are the wrong people. I don't want to endanger them."

"None of us want to endanger them," stated Billy.

"Where is Charles West now?" asked Lee.

Francine replied, "I don't know but when he came back, he went to Fort Benning, GA."

Billy Melrose pointed out, "Fort Benning is Army or CIA. Until we have more to go on, work on your previous assignments. Hopefully they tie in. Her family can protect them better than we can right now."

AGENCY Wednesday

Scarecrow stated, "Billy, Amanda sent us a message by General Stevens. He said to recheck everything we know before getting 'spooky'. " "Grandpa' George West liked the word 'spy' but he preferred the word 'spook'."

"So Mrs. King believes that you have the information you need. Where did you meet Demi Morgan?"

Lee answered, "I met her at 'Peter's Nightlife' last week."

Francine questioned, "how did you choose the party at the Halifax?"

"Demi was invited," he replied.

Francine suggested, "better check out Demi, hadn't you?"

Scarecrow nodded, "yeah!"

After lunch Francine asked, "why do you keep humming that same song?"

Lee asked, "what song?"

"I don't know what it is. You are the one humming it. … You are doing it again."

"Prescott Norvell is Demi Morgan's second cousin. They went to school together. We can keep digging into her background," suggested Angela Gladstone, one of the freshman candidates.

"Thank you, Angela, please keep digging," said Scarecrow.

"Yes, sir, I will do that." The freshman candidate left humming the same tune that the dreamy senior agent was humming.

"Melrose," Billy answered the phone on his desk.

"Melrose, this is Boutsikaris in post-production. We are putting Stedman and Keene on the credits of "The Traveling Minstrel Shows". I was wondering if we can credit Amanda King as an apprentice editor, also?"

"If you are crediting Amanda Keene, why would you credit Amanda King?" asked her supervisor.

"Because she was very helpful. We usually try to get professional credits for our kids. Mrs. King pointed out that it is a shame that people know she works for a film company. They ask her about her projects but will never see her name in the credits. I think she has a point. The people here in the production department have their names listed as part of their covers, I believe she should too. Phillip's teacher is planning to assign watching 'The Traveling Minstrel' as extra credit."

"Go ahead, credit her. It will make her cover more convincing," agreed Mr. Melrose.

"Thanks. I heard she is away. When will she be back?" asked Gene Boutsikaris.

"I'm not sure. She had a family emergency. She took her boys out of school and left town," replied Billy.

"Well, when she checks in, tell her not to worry about her exam. I will let her take it whenever she gets back," Boutsikaris assured him.

"What exam?"

"The Edit 101 exam. You know that Amanda King is the only one of your field agents who has ever actually tried to learn the business. Maybe it is because she wants to be able to explain things to her sons," the head of the post-production unit told the head of the field section. "Tell her that we send our best to her and hers."

"Gene, you know Mrs. King is not a field agent, and why is she taking an Edit 101 exam?" asked the section chief.

"Sorry, Billy, I thought you knew. Amanda came down here shortly after she started working here. Wanted to know what documentaries we were working on, when they would be aired. When IFF became her cover, she came in to learn more about it. I'm letting her audit a couple of courses, when she's available," explained the film department manager. "Since she wants to learn it she may as well get the credit."

AGENCY Thursday

"Lee, please stop it. I am so tired of that tune," Francine stated.

"What?" Lee asked.

"The tune that you keep humming. You have been humming it for three days. The steno pool is humming it. Agents are humming it. Lee, please stop it," begged Francine.

"I did not realize that I was humming, Francine," Scarecrow told her as he noticed for the first time that several people were humming the same tune in chorus.

Angela Gladstone approached Agent Stetson with a file folder in her hand. "Here is the file on Demi Morgan so far. She lived in a cousin's house for several years. Prescott Norvell was living there, too, part of the time."

"Thank you, Angela," he said, taking the file. As he looked through it he said, "good work, Gladstone."

Francine asked, "why did you search out distant cousins?"

"Mr. Stetson told me to. I actually went much deeper than we are told to in class. Several interesting things came up. I hope they help." Miss Gladstone turned to leave beginning to hum on her way out.

"Wait, why are you humming that particular tune?" questioned the assistant field section chief.

"Ma'am?" asked the freshman candidate.

"Why do you hum that song? There are thousands of songs out there. Why that one?" the blond woman pressed her.

Angela moved a strand of long black hair away from her face. "I like the song. I guess when I heard Mr. Stetson humming it the other day it reminded me of it. Until this week I hadn't heard it in months."

Scarecrow interrupted, "where else did you hear it?"

"My friend, Jessica Dane is in the beginning film class. They were singing it," she explained.

Mr. Melrose followed Lee and Francine down to level seven. The IFF Documentary Film program was a busy place. Students were in classrooms studying but the busiest room was post-production. A small cluster of people were singing softly as they waited for something. "… side by side, Just like two wilted leaves of cabbage, In the sunshine fried, My heart with love nigh to split, To ask for to wed," they trailed off as they noticed the newcomers in the room.

Mr. Boutsikaris turned when the singing stopped and spotted the visitors. "What can we do for you?"

Billy Melrose told him, "people all over the building have been humming that song this week. I want to know what it is."

"As far as I can tell most of those folks have only hummed the chorus of 'Kiss Me Quick and Go'. It is in our latest documentary, 'The Traveling Minstrel Shows'. Melrose, I need you to sign off on crediting Amanda as an apprentice. The paper work is in my office," said Gene Boutsikaris leading the way.

The two classes let out with students meeting in the hall to begin singing the lyrics to a song that had been hummed for days.

" … Oh! Kiss me quick and go, my honey. Kiss me quick and go! To cheat surprise and prying eyes, Why kiss me quick and go!"

"That is what Amanda was singing," Lee told Francine.

"Oh, Amanda likes this song. She has hummed it for over a month," stated a young man from the post-production room.

"Can I get a copy of the lyrics?" asked the field agent.

Leatherneck's Weapons Area Thursday late afternoon

"I am sorry to interrupt, Sir, but the man said to tell you 'it is top'," said the curious freshman candidate.

"Beauregard," answered the marine. "Alpha Charlie … two hours … Semper Fi," and he hung up the receiver. "Angela, call everyone on my schedule and cancel through Sunday. Tell Mascot I will check in."

Miss Gladstone asked, "Sir, what do I tell them?"

"Tell them there is an emergency."

"A family emergency?"

A slightly odd expression crossed his face before he agreed, "yeah."

Amory stood next to the counter covered with various paraphernalia and watched Leatherneck grab his jacket as he left.

The young freshman candidate looked from the empty doorway to the clipboard in her hand and the counter top to Tim Amory. "Let me call someone to help you, sir."

Miss Gladstone was hanging up the phone after cancelling the last appointment on Leatherneck's schedule.

Agent Stetson entered the room to approach the counter. "Where is Leatherneck?"

"I don't know, Sir. I called to cancel your appointment."

Scarecrow waved a small stack of messages. "I know. What I don't know is why."

"There is an emergency, Sir."

"There was an emergency?"

Angela hesitated a moment before agreeing, "yes, Sir."

"Tell me what happened," Stetson instructed.

"Billy, we lost Leatherneck to an emergency."

West Family Compound Friday morning

Phillip and Jamie King raced into the classroom shouting with excitement, "Mom, Mr. Leatherneck is here."

"Why thankya, Suga," Amanda said in her best southern drawl. "Howdy, Mr. Leatherneck."

"Mornin', Ms. King," answered the marine.

Smiling she mentioned, "it's been a while. How ya been?" still working on her drawl.

Grinning he replied, "fine, Ma'am, just fine. And you?"

"Just peachy. Whatcha doin' round here 'bouts?" the lady questioned.

Leatherneck guessed, "probably the same thing you are. Alpha Charlie."

Briefing Saturday afternoon

Phillip and Jamie King hid under a table at the back of the room, eager to find out what the adults were planning. Albert and Sadie were under the other table eavesdropping just as eagerly.

" … alright, kids, come out."

The children crawled out to stand before their parents and the other adults. "You kids can't tell anyone about this. Do you understand that this is a secret mission?"

Four young heads nodded yes.

"All of these folks are going to party tonight. Albert, your parents are going to be mostly inside, highly visible, enjoying themselves. Sadie, your parents will also be safe and sound, talking and dancing. Phillip, Jamie, your mother is going as Leatherneck's date. While some of our crew will be working, everyone else is just covering for them. Acting as watchmen, protectors, moving around, changing places, just like in class."

"So there should be no danger?" asked Phillip.

"You bet your boots," Malcolm, a short jockey type black man answered. "Bet bib and tucker, party goers."

OASIS BAR Saturday night

The band took it's second break. Amanda noticed that Jim Bob Gray was subtle as he tried to locate certain members of their party.

Amanda gave the high sign, the prearranged signal that the party needed to scout and cover for their missing people. Several couples went outside while others mingled together and spoke with the bar's regular patrons. Mrs. King slipped out the back door to be close when Leatherneck returned. She hoped he would get back soon. Men had exited the building and were beating the bushes. Three ladies stood in a group on the edge of shadows chatting together.

A loud masculine voice followed a surprised shriek. "Get out of here!" Enoch ordered someone.

Sally Ann asked sarcastically, "do ya get off on watchin'?"

Bubba threatened someone, "get out of here, jerk. I have a right to make out with my wife."

"Deck 'im, Suga!" Mary Ruth demanded of her husband.

Four men crept closer to the three women by the shadows. Looking around quickly Amanda messed up her hair, pulled her shirt tail out of her skirt waistband and unbuttoned the top three buttons.

Someone pointed her date in her direction. Leatherneck joined her in the darkness by the pickup.

"Oh, Zac Sweetheart, kiss me again," she begged as she jerked open the snaps on his western shirt.

He tugged his shirttail out of his jeans, grinning, then he complied with her request.

Amanda whispered in his ear, "very nice muscle tone."

"So glad you approve," he replied and kissed her again.

"Get 'im, Zac!" she encouraged him after he had spun around to face the man behind him.

"What is going on here?" demanded Cousin Henry Tanner.

"We seem to have peeping Toms. At least two or three of them," said Cousin Pink.

"Nettie, go call the sheriff. Jedidiah should know about these guys," stated Henry.

"There is no reason for that," protested the accused voyeur.

"Yeah, there is. Protecting the public," stated Zac Beauregard. "Let's go."

As the crowd entered, the dancers stopped, the band stopped and people watched as three men they did not know were herded over to an empty booth.

Amanda made a show of buttoning the top buttons and tucking in her blouse. Zac brushed her hair back from her face.

The sheriff entered and surveyed the large room, taking in the band, patrons, and employees, who all were watching the people around the booth. "What's up, Henry?"

"These guys have been around all night, spyin' on folks. Kinda cramping their style, it isn't as easy to fool around with my wife if she is worried 'bout peepin' Toms," answered Tanner.

"And what about you, Son?" asked sheriff Jedidiah Aaron. "Want to close your shirt?"

"No, sir. She ripped it open. Whenever she's ready, she can snap it back," Leatherneck informed him with a roguish grin.

Amanda slapped her palm onto his tight abs, protesting, "Zachary?" Suddenly she realized what she had done and blushed.

"Come dance with me, Peaches," he requested leading her away.

"Are you goin' to snap yore shirt?" she asked, still working on her drawl.

"Noooo, Ma'am, but you can if ya wanta," he assured her.

"I don't think so," Amanda protested.

"Fine by me, Honey," Leatherneck agreed and pulled her to him.

Jim and Jeff stopped dancing with their wives and blocked the marine's path. "Beauregard, button that shirt."

"Nope, it doesn't have buttons. Yore baby sister ripped it open. She can snap it back anytime she wants," stated the dark haired man.

"Stop sayin' that," she insisted, backing out of his arms.

"Amanda, maybe you had better snap his shirt for him," suggested Jeff's wife, Cindy.

Blushing furiously, Amanda stood encircled by family and friends as she snapped Zac Beauregard's shirt front.

Agency Thursday a.m.

Women loitered in the hallways. The news had traveled swiftly. Scarecrow had entered the building and suddenly it was time for a coffee break.

"Hi, Lee." "Are you going to call me tonight?"

Lee smiled and spoke to several of the secretaries and steno pool personnel as he passed them. He enjoyed the attention. Women were attracted to his dimpled smile so he smiled.

"Look, he's at it again," whispered Mrs. Shark to the group around her.

"Where? Oh … wait for it!" another woman whispered back.

"I never would have thought that he was her type," murmured a third female voice.

Stetson realized that the ladies had become interested in someone else. He followed their intense look down the hall.

Leatherneck softly said something that only Amanda King could hear.

"Zachary Beauregard, I am going to tell yore Mama on you," declared an embarrassed Mrs. King.

He laughed and protested, "I was perfectly innocent. I just walked over and - I think I should tell yore mother."

"My mother already knows. You know that my mother already knows. You were there."

"My mother knows, too. Jarhead promised her a picture," he informed her.

"She doesn't know you volunteered to do it again."

"Anytime, anywhere. I gotta go, the palomina's here."

"Mornin', Francine," two southern drawls said in duet. "Bye, Blondie," added Leatherneck. "Bye, Peaches!"

"Don't you leave me holding a pair of threes against a full house, Plowboy," ordered the housewife.

The marine chuckled as he strode off, leaving a highly flustered civilian aide with an extremely curious assistant field section chief.

Ms. Desmond always wanting the newest reports of gossip inquired, "what was that all about?"

"Don't worry about it, Francine," replied Amanda blushing.

"Amanda, come on. Tell me what he said."

"No, Francine," Amanda refused. "Zac just made me an offer I can defiantly refuse. I mean - I mean - never mind Francine." Still blushing but laughing softly, the lady continued into the bullpen.

Agency Monday morning

Francine Desmond stopped by the desk where Amanda King sat transcribing a tape. "You have a phone call on line 3, an Abner Isaiah."

"Hi, Ab. What can I do for you?" Mrs. King asked. " … that's not fair … Jim and Jeff had to explain that to Mother … If I have to testify, I have to testify …"

Agent Desmond worked at her desk, waiting until the civilian got off the phone. "You have to testify about what?"

"Just a peepin' Tom, nothing that would interest you," was the answer.

"What was the family emergency that you ran off for?"

"I was a private family thing, Francine. It has been taken care of."

Leatherneck was at his desk completing paperwork that he would have finished last week had he been there for more than two days.

"Did you and Amanda have a good time last week?" asked the Scarecrow as he darkened the doorway of the marine's office.

"What was that, Stetson?" questioned Leatherneck.

"Did you have a good time last week?"

"I had an emergency a week and a half ago. A friend needed my help."

"Yeah, is your friend 'family' or 'party'?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Lee."

"Of course not. I suppose that it was just a coincidence that you both had a family emergency at the same time."

"I wouldn't know. I heard that Mrs. King left two weeks ago on Monday. I got called on Thursday."

"Alpha Charlie," said Lee.

"A.C. what?" asked Leatherneck calmly.

"OK, see you later," Lee conceded.

Agency following Friday

" … you already asked Mother if I can go! Zachary, that's cheating …Billy Joe and Nancy Jan, and Ethan and Betty Lou … Where? … I'd love to … See you tonight." Mrs. King hung up the phone.

Agent Desmond said, " isn't that thoughtful. Your boyfriend asked your mother first about a group date."

"He's not exactly my boyfriend. But my cousin wanted me to go out with them." Amanda started to explain.

"That's alright, Dear. You don't need to explain," Francine stopped her.

"Amanda King," she answered the phone.

Leatherneck warned her, "I didn't do it, Peaches! Someone got ahold of my pictures … I guess you could call them vacation pictures … Yeah … Dotty received yours today."

Scarecrow stormed into the marine's office, slamming the door behind him. He glared angrily at the dark haired man on the phone as he slapped several photos on the desk.

Leatherneck gave a brief start of surprise as he noticed the top photograph. "Peaches, be careful. The picture on my desk isn't - it is from the Ozark … Lee …"

"_I was not undoing Zac's shirt … I was snapping it up," _protested the lady on the other end of the phone to whomever was questioning her. "_Get your rear in gear, Suga," _she demanded of the marine in her southern drawl.

"I think it is to late, Peaches. Stetson has a bee in his bonnet … About this picture, Peaches. Wow!" Leatherneck said with a grin. Hanging up the phone he questioned, "you want something, Ace?"

"Yeah! Explain those!" demanded Scarecrow.

"Why? That isn't yore bidness," he replied while he studied the black and white pictures in front of him. "She shore is cute when she gets em - bare - assed," he drawled out the last word suggestively. "What are you worried about, Ace? We didn't get caught with our pants down."

"Mrs. King, in my office now, please," Billy Melrose summoned her from his doorway.

"Well, Mrs. King, you appear to have had an entertaining week," observed Dr. Smyth from his place in Billy's chair. The photos spread out before him shocked her.

"Well, well, well. I didn't know Leatherneck had such a great body," whispered Ms. Desmond, exchanging looks with the housewife.

"So tickled you approve, Francy," said the man who now stood behind Amanda.

"Can you explain these photos, Mrs. King?" demanded Dr. Smyth.

"I could but this wasn't Agency business so I won't," she replied firmly.

"Beauregard?" demanded the director of the marine.

"I respectfully decline to answer, sir."

Mr. Melrose asked Mrs. King, "what does Alpha Charlie mean?"

Dr. Smyth barely nodded his approval. Leatherneck agree, she began, "very loosely translated it means .."

"Zulu Blue," stated an Army Major from the back of the room.

"Did you do this, Abner Isaiah Thompson?" Amanda inquired.

"My aide, actually. We have a problem …" stated Major Thompson.

As Major Thompson explained the problem, Amanda stared at the photos. She bent closer and closer. She turned on the desk light and pulled a magnifying glass out of the pencil holder to get a better look.

"Zac," she whispered, waving him over to show him something on one of the pictures. After they looked at it for several moments Amanda called, "Ab?"

Major Thompson stopped speaking, the others were paying more attention to Amanda and Leatherneck than to him anyway.

"Ab, look at this and this one. Zac, where are the 'vacation' pictures?" ask Amanda. "Look on the bulletin board," she added going out the door carrying the magnifying glass. "Look, there in the crowd. Who is that?"

"What is that?" asked the Major.

"Weapons, beginners class. I am more concerned about this man in the shadow behind Jamie," she pointed out.

"You were at Alpha Charlie?"

"Yes, we were. Those are my sons. That is Jim's little girl," agreed Mrs. King.

"Alpha Charlie 503," said Major Thompson.

Staff in the bullpen had been paying attention while they worked on their own assignments. Suddenly the Major was calling someone on the phone and telling him to 'lock down'. Leatherneck was making calls. Amanda was making calls. Dr. Smyth ordered the Agency locked down. The phones were shut off, computers appeared to crash, and people could enter but not leave the Agency.

Major Thompson conferred with Dr. Smyth and Mr. Melrose. Mr. Melrose spoke over the PA system. "People, we have a code 'crimson'. We need all of Leatherneck's 'vacation pictures' brought personally to the field section bullpen by each person that has any."

Amanda told Kikie to go to the photo lab and get a copy of the day's work log. Kikie looked at her boss before hurrying off. "Lee, we need your photos, please?" She went into the conference room and started tacking the prints up on the corkboard.

Major Thompson stood beside Dr. Smyth watching Amanda in quiet conversation with Francine.

"Alright, people. I want your names on the back of each photo you turn in and where you got it. This is important," instructed Francine Desmond. "Half a photo, Farling?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I only wanted this part of it."

"Leatherneck, you have a fan."

"Major Thompson, sir. Your materials, sir."

"Thank you, Sergeant. Find a place where you can set up separate from all of this. Let me know when you are ready," ordered the Major.

"This way, Sergeant," offered a steno pool cutie.

"Have you noticed, Peaches?" asked the marine.

"Shore did, Zac Suga," she replied in her best southern drawl. "Our peepin' Toms are in pictures with Mother, the boys or Jim, Jeff and their families.

"Peaches, you are in those pictures, too," Leatherneck pointed out.

"Lee? Isn't that Prescott Norvell?" asked Mrs. King pointing at a man in the shadows of a building near the swimming pool full of children.

"Could be," he said as he picked up a large magnifying glass.

Francine sidled up to Leatherneck, "why are there so many shots in the bar with your shirt open?"

Beauregard grinned at the housewife, "think I should tell her, Peaches?"

"Zac, don't you dare," threatened the lady.

Lee looked at Francine, Leatherneck, and Amanda. "What did you have to do with it?"

"There are so many pictures because .. The ladies all seemed to agree that .. That physique should be documented .. Maybe you could be in the calendar wearing your swim trunks."

"For shame, Peaches," Leatherneck laughed, mocking her.

"That may have answered Francine's question but it didn't answer mine." Lee waited for his answer while Amanda showed Francine two choices of beefcake photos. "Are you going to answer me, Amanda?"

"No, I am not. … Zachary, NO," she stated Firmly.

Billy Melrose started laughing heartily at whatever the Major told him.

"No, Abner!"

"He said it several times, Hon. And he obviously meant it. Beauregard first told the sheriff and then several others that "she ripped it open and she could snap it back whenever she wanted. Was that pretty close to what you said?"

"Yeah," he assured them with a challenging stare at Lee.

"So why were you dancing like that?" demanded Scarecrow.

"She didn't want to," stated the marine smugly. "Close my shirt that is … " Looking at Mrs. King he continued, "when I told you that you could if you wanted, you said, 'I don't think so'."

Blushing a bright red, Amanda protested, "Zac! That wasn't what I meant."

"If you say so, Peaches. Did you notice how often these guys were near Bubba Jenks?"

"Lee, it was just part of our cover. It was a cover date."

"Ripping his shirt open was part of your cover? How do you figure that?"

"He had been gone for a coon's age. Those peepin' Toms' were looking in all six directions. They were finding our 'makeout' couples. So I had a plan; I messed up my hair and unbuttoned three buttons.

"You don't owe him any explanations, Peaches. You don't have that kind of a relationship, do ya?" questioned the dark haired man.

"No, we don't."

"We can go now. Ab and Sara are going to meet us there."

"Good night, Lee."

"Your mother and boys are away for the weekend."

"The compound?"

"No, somewhere else, just in case."

C&W BAR Friday night

Four couples sat crowded close together around a large table. Country & Western music played by a band filled the air.

"Peaches, it seems like we have a tail," suggested Leatherneck.

"Where?" Amanda looked tward the door. "He's with Demi Morgan. Hopefully he's working."

Demi watched the dancers as she waited for Lee to return with their beer. Suddenly she recognized the brunette that had ruined her evening at the Halifax. The woman was doing one of those line dances with many other people.

Demi Morgan kept her attention fixed on her date. As far as she could tell Lee was unaware that the other woman was present. His attention was solely on Demi which was exactly the way she wanted it.

Stetson was paying strict attention to his date. He was still unsure of Demi's reasons for being with him. She had appeared to be a formal party kind of woman so the desire to go to a country western bar surprised him. He was also keeping tabs on all of the patrons in the club including Amanda and her friends.

The group of women were arguing again, getting louder and louder the drunker they got. "Prove it!" "How do we prove it?" "Let's …" the loud voices were drowned out by music.

" No, that won't work." "Then let's …" "Yeah, let's go. Come on Suga' …" "Honey, we are goin' ta polish yore belt buckle." "Let's smoke them boots."

"That's obscene," stated Demi.

"What is obscene, Baby?" asked Lee Stetson.

"Them, your ex-girlfriend and her friends," replied the woman.

"Which ex-girlfriend?"

"That one!" She spat out, "the one that kissed you at the hotel."

He turned to look to the corner of the dance floor. Scarecrow had pretended not to see the large party or hear the drunk women arguing. "What is obscene? They are just standing there although they are rather loud," he admitted.

"Now, but they were feeling up their men and then changing partners to feel up each other's men."

"Really? In public? They are drunker than I thought. She never felt me up, but I would rather do that in private," said the agent suggestively.

"They are doing it again," complained his date.

The secret agent turned to look, "you mislead me, baby. They all have their hands above the belt."

Four amused men appeared to revel in being the point of contention that their ladies were bickering over. Briefly Leatherneck locked eyes with Scarecrow.

"Well, I will show you," declared Abner's wife, unbuttoning his shirt and spreading it wide.

"Not bad, Cuz," murmured Amanda, "maybe we should call you Abs instead of Ab."

Nancy Jan protested, "wait a minute," and pulled open her husband, Billy Joe's shirt. "You didn't really want those buttons, did you, Dear?" she asked drunkenly.

Ethan stood grinning as Betty Lou concentrated on gently opening his shirt, button by button.

Looking extremely self-satisfied, Leatherneck whispered, "Ace is keeping tabs on us, Peaches."

"Hopefully everyone has an eyeball on us, Zachary," she whispered back. Amanda ripped the snaps apart, exposing his chest and pulled his shirttail out. "See, he wins."

"You seem mighty fond of doing that," the marine suggested.

"You bet yore boots, Fella," she returned softly.

"No, he doesn't. Billy Joe is better."

"We will never know who is better because I don't share. But Ethan has the best body."

"We need an impar - impart - impartial judge." Turning to a woman at a nearby table, she asked, "would you come help us out?"

"Sure, all of your guys are OK. It is just that My Jody is better than all of them. Show 'em, Jody!"

"Is this a closed contest or can anybody join?" asked a lady with a tall cowboy in tow.

"Shore, why not. Get those shirts off, gents. We want a proper show. Forget the wet t-shirt look. We want bare skin."

Ladies jumped up and down cheering as shirts came off. Women dragged their men forward.

"Come on, Lee. You can beat them," Demi said dragging him out of his chair.

As scars became visible, Hero marks, battle tracks, someone asked, "does it still hurt?"

A proud woman stated, "My husband served in WWII."

"Mine was in Korea!"

"Nam," said several more.

Most of the bars patrons were kicking up their heels. Few realized that a dozen or so men and women were escorted out by armed federal employees including Demi Morgan.

AGENCY DIRECTOR'S OFFICE Saturday morning

Dr. Smyth studied the three people standing before his desk.

Amanda whispered, "maybe we kicked over a hornet's nest."

Leatherneck agreed, "maybe your biscuits are burning."

"You were defiantly buckin' in the rodeo without a pickup man," stated the director. "There are a lot of people who read the paper. Who's bright idea was it?"

"The wives saw Zac's beefcake pictures and thought their husband's were better. It sort of evolved," Mrs. King explained.

"And the boys all agreed?" questioned Dr. Smyth.

"We didn't ask the boys. They just had to grin -"

"And bare it?" finished Beauregard, grinning like a small dog with a big bone.

"At least that lady didn't get to follow up with that - rear view," she offered.

Billy Melrose inquired from the chair by the wall, "what- rear view?"

Lee coughed and said, "some lady suggested that we drop our jeans."

"She had been drinking _a lot_," Amanda said excusing the woman.

"So had you," Stetson replied.

"No, Sweetheart. We hadn't. Soon after we got there, we had to go to work. Coverin' yore - back."

Francine laughed, immediately covering it with a cough.

"Well, kiddies, no more …" Austin Smyth ordered.

"It should be alright, sir. Mr. Banes won, sir. We made sure of it. He is a very nice looking man for being seventy whatever."

"Seventy?" questioned Francine in disbelief.

Amanda explained, "he fought in World War II. We couldn't let one of our guys win and his wife was so proud."

Lee walked down the hall with Amanda between Leatherneck and himself. "Did you really have to rip his shirt open?"

"No, I didn't. I could have done it slowly. One snap at a time," she assured him. "But it wouldn't have had the same dramatic effect."

"Maybe next time, Peaches," the marine suggested and kissed her cheek then turned off to return to his office.

"I saw you snap it back for him."

"Yeah, that's the deal. I bare his chest, if I want it covered; I have to cover it. But I didn't tuck in his shirttail," Amanda informed her agent, walking off.

Lee stopped dead in his tracks as that image presented itself.

"Kiss Me Quick and Go" (1856)

(Song [and Chorus])

Words by Silas Sexton Steel, Esq.

Music by Frederick Buckley, 18?-1864

sung with great applause at the concerts by

Buckley's Opera Troupe at their new Opera House

Broadway, N. Y.

New York, NY: Firth, Pond & Co., 547 Broadway

[Source: 127/128Levy]

1.

The other night while I was sparking Sweet Torlina Spray,

The more we whispered our love talking,

The more we had to say;

The old folks and the little folks,

We thought were fast in bed,-

We heard a footstep on the stairs,

And what d'ye think she said?

O! kiss me quick and go my honey,

Kiss me quick and go!

To cheat surprise and prying eyes,

Why kiss me quick and go!

CHORUS [sung after each verse]

Kiss me quick and go my honey,

Kiss me quick and go;

To cheat surprise and prying eyes,

Why kiss me quick and go!

2.

Soon after that I gave my love

A moonlight promenade,

At last we fetched up to the door,

Just where the old folks stayed;

The clock struck twelve, her heart struck two (too)

And peeping over head

We saw a night cap raise the blind,

And what d'ye think she said?

O! kiss me quick and go my honey,

Kiss me quick and go!

To cheat surprise and prying eyes,

Why kiss me quick and go!

3.

One Sunday night we sat together,

Sighing side by side,

Just like two wilted leaves of cabbage

In the sunshine fried;

My heart with love was nigh to split

To ask her for to wed,

Said I; Shall I go for the priest,

And what d'ye think she said;

O! kiss me quick and go my honey,

Kiss me quick and go!

To cheat surprise and prying eyes,

Why kiss me quick and go!


End file.
